Connector structure



June 19, 1962 R. M. HELLER ETAL 3,040,286

CONNECTOR STRUCTURE Filed May 25, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTE- l R. M.HELLER ETAL June 19, 1962 CONNECTOR STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May25, 1960 s y 5M; n.. R 4 y ml. Nam o E Vw@ W W m A a r a e f o u RUnited States Patent O 3,040,236 CONNECTOR STRUCTURE Robert M. Heler andWallace A. Stanley, Birmingham,

Nlich., assignors to Watts Eiectric & Mfg. Co., Birmxngham, Mich., acorporation of Michigan Filed May 23, 1960, Ser. No. 31,016 Claims. (Cl.339-64) The invention relates to connector structure and refers morespecically to structure for making a sealed connection having apredetenmined polarity between an electric light bulb and electricconductors with the conductors and light bulb in any relative angularposition.

It is an object of the invention to provide connector structure forconnecting an electric light bulb to electric conductors which connectorstructure insures proper polarity of the connection.

Another object is to provide connector structure for connecting anelectric light bulb to electric conductors with the bulb and conductorsin any relative angular position.

More specifically, it is an object to provide connector structurecomprising a bulb socket including a socket tube adapted to receive anelectric light bulb in one end thereof and also including a core withinand extending `axially out of the other end of the socket tube havingcylindrical concentric contact members therein with harness connectorcontact ends spaced axially of said socket tube, and a harness connectorincluding a body member having a cylindrical shaft portion extendingfrom one end thereof and also including cylindrical concentric contactmembers having axially spaced bulb socket contact ends secured to saidshaft, which contact members are secured to electric conductors withinthe body member.

Another object is to provide connector structure as set forth abovewherein the body member of the harness connector is provided with anaxially extending annular ilange at said one end thereof which isadapted to be sleeved on said other end of the socket tube of the bulbsocket to seal the lconnection between the harness connector and bulbsocket from water, dust and corrosion.

Another object is to provide connector structure as set forth abovewherein the axially outer contact member of the harness connector andthe axially inner contact member of the bulb socket are of smallerdiameter than I the axially inner contact member of the harnessconnector land the axially outer contact member of the bulb socketwhereby the harness connector may be easily piloted into assembly withthe Ibulb socket.

Another object is to provide a bulb socket comprising a socket tubeadapted to receive an electric light bulb in one end thereof, aninsulating core received in and extending axially outwardly through theother end of the socket tube and a pair of concentric cylindricalcontact members carried by said core having harness connector contactends spaced axially of the socket tube.

Another object is to provide a bulb socket as set forth above whereinthe contact members are of different diameter.

Another object is lto provide a *bulb socket as set forth abo-ve whereinthe contact members are segmental.

Another object is to provide a bulb socket as set forth above whereinthe core has an outer diameter slightly less than the inner diameter ofthe socket tube and is spring urged toward said one end of the sockettube so that the core is permitted to tilt slightly to provide firmcontact between the contact members carried thereby and the terminals ofa light bulb inserted within said one end of the socket tube, whichterminals are of different lengths.

Another object is to provide a socket tube as set forth above wherein atransverse recess is provided in the end of the core in which the bul-bcontact ends of the contact "ice members are positioned to preventshearing of the terminals of a light bulb inserted within the bulbsocket during insertion thereof.

Another object is to provide a harness connector including a body memberof insulating material having a cylindrical shaft portion extending fromone end thereof and cylindrical concentric contact members having endssecured to and spaced axially of the shaft portion of the body memberand extending through the body member to connect with electricconductors extending into the body member from the other end thereof.

Another object is to provide a harness connector as indicated abovewherein the contact members lare of dierent diameters.

Another object is to provide a harness connector as set forth abovewherein the contact members are segmental.

Another object is to provide connector structure as set forth abovewhich is simple in construction, economical to manufacture and eicientin use.

`Other objects, advantages and novel details of construction of thisinvention will be made more `appa-rent as this description proceeds,especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings,wherein:

`FIGURE 1 is a partially broken-away side view of assembled connectorstructure according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal section View of the bulb socketillustrated in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a left end View of the bulb socket illustrated in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a right end View of the bulb socket illustrated in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a partly broken away side view of the harness connectorillustrated in FIGURE 1.

vFIGURE 6 is a left end view of the harness connector illustrated inFIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a right end view of the harness connector illustrated inFIGURE 5.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of the contact members of the bulb socketshown in FIGURE 2 with the core member of the bulb socket shown indashed lines.

FIGURE 9 is a longitudinal section of a modified bulb ysocket andharness connector similar to that illustrated in FIGURE l in which thecontact members are of equal diameter.

FIGURE l0 is a perspective View of lthe contact members of the bulbsocket shown in FIGURE 9 with the core member of the bulb socket shownin dashed lines.

With reference to the drawings, a particular embodiment of the inventionwill now be disclosed.

As shown in FIGURE l, an electric light bulbv generally indicated 10 isconnected to the electric conductors 12 and 14 in accordance with theinvention by means of the bulb socket 16 inserted in housing 18 and theharness connector 20 in assembly.

With the connector structure shown, the bulb socket 16 may be secured tothe housing 18 separately from the harness connector 20. The harnessconnector 20 may then be assembled with the bulb socket 16 to provide asealed electrical connection having a predetermined polarity between theconductors 12 and 14 and the laments 21 and 23 of light bulb 10 with thebulb socket 16 and harness connector 20 in any relative angularposition. Such connection will be sealed against Water, dust andcorrosion.

More speciiically, the bulb socket 16 comprises a socket tube 21, core22, spring 24 and contact members 26 and 2S.

The socket tube 21 has axially oifset bayonet slots 30 in one end 32thereof adapted to receive axially offset lugs 34 of an electric lightbulb 10 inserted within the socket tube 21 to secure the bulb and sockettube together in a predetermined angular position.

3 Thus a connection of predetermined polarity is established betweenbulb filaments 21 and 23 connected to bulb terminals 52 and Si)respectively with conductors 12 and 14 respectively through bulb socket16 and harness connector 2t) when the bulb 12 is positioned in bulbsocket 16 and harness connector 28 and bulb socket 16 are assembled.

The socket tube 21 is further provided with a radially inwardlyextending annular ilange 36 at the other end 38 thereof against whichone end of the spring 24 is seated. Annular groove 40 is providedcentrally of socket tube 21 and provides internal annular abutment 42which is operable to prevent the core 22 under the influence of spring24 from passing out of the end 32 of the socket tube 21.

'The core 22 is of insulating material shaped as shown and is positionedwithin the end 38 of the socket tube 2.1 for axial movement with respectthereto. The core 22 is held against rotation relative to the sockettube 21 by the configuration of the flange 36 and its own cross-sectionas shown.

.Core 22 is provid-ed with a radially outwardly extending annular flange44 adjacent the end thereof within the socket tube 21 against which theother end of the spring 24 bears and which in turn bears against theabutment 42 when the bulb 18 is not inserted within the socket tube 21.With the bulb 10 inserted within the socket tube 21, the core 22 due tothe annular flange 44 thereof having smaller outer diameter than theinner diameter of the socket ytube 21 is allowed to tilt slightly underinfluence of spring 24 to provide a solid electrical contact betweenthe'bulb contacting ends 46 and 48 of the contact members 26 and 28 andthe terminals 50 and 52 of the light bulb 10 which may be of differentlengths.

As best shown in FIGURE 4, the end 54 of the core 22 is provided with atransverse recess 55 in which the bulb Contact ends of the Contactmembers 26 and 28 are positioned. Thus the terminals t) and 52 of thebulb 10 are not subject to detrimental shearing forces on being rotatedinto contact with the bulb contact ends 46 and 48 of the contact members26A and 28 during insertion of the bulb in the socket tube 21.

A stepped recess S6 isprovided in the end 58 of the core 22'as shown.The contact members 26 and 28 are mounted in the stepped recess 56 andextend through vthe coreV 22 as shown and are secured in position incore 22 by the bulb contact ends 46 and 48.

As shown in FIGURES l through 8, the contact memybers 26 `and 28comprise cylindrical harness connector contact ends 60 and 62, thepreviously indicator bulb Contact ends 46 and 48 and connecting strips64 and 66 .therebetween respectively. It will be noted that inaccordance with the invention the harness connector con- -tact end 62ofthe Contact member 28 is of smaller diameter than `the harnessconnector contact end 60 of contact member 26. In addition the harnessconnector contact end 62 of the contact member 28 is positioned axiallyinwardly of the socket tube with respect to the harness connectorcontact end 60` of the contact member 26.

'Ihe harness connector 28 as shown best in FIGURES 5 through 7 comprisesa body member 68 of insulating material having a cylindrical shaftportion '70 extending from end 72 thereof. Body member 68 also includesthe annular axially extending ange 74 forming a Iboot for receivingtheend 38 of the socket tube 21 to seal the connection between the harnessconnector and bulb socket in assembly thereof las shown in FIGURE l.

The harness connector 20l also includes the contact members 76 and 78having cylindrical concentric bulb socket contact ends 80 and 82respectively, secured to the stepped shaft 7i) as shown -best in FIGURE5. The contact members 76 and 78 are adapted to tit within andmakeelectric-contact with the cylindrical harness connector-contact ends62 and 60 respectively, of the contact members 2S-,and 26 of the bulbsocket 16. The contact members 76 and 78 also include connecting strips84 and 86 which extend through the body member 68 and are secured to theelectric conductors 12 and 14 respectively.

A modification of the connector structure illustrated in FIGURES lthrough 8 is illustrated in FIGURES 9` and l0'. In the modifiedconnector structure similar parts have been given similar numbersfollowed by the letter a. The cylindrical portions 64m and 62a of thecontact members 26a and 28a of the bulk socket 16a of FIG- URES 9 and l0are of the same diameter. The harness connector contact end 62a of thecontact members 28a is, however, segmental to permit passage of theconnecting strip 64e of the contact member 26a through the core member22a. The connecting strip 64a is offset slightly radially outwardly at88 to prevent shorting with the bulb socket contacting end of thecontact member 76aI of the harness connector 20a to the strip 64a withthe harness connector 29a in assembly with the bulb socket 16a. Likewisethe contact members 76a and 78a of the harness connector 28a in theconnector structure shown in FIGURES 9 and lO are of the same diameter.

It will be evident that with the connector structure of the inventionthe harness connector 20y is easily piloted into engagement with thebulb socket 16 either before or after the socket tube is assembled withthe housing 18. Further it will he evident that with the structuredisclosed it is impossible to connect the bulb socket 16 and the harnessconnector 20 of the invention so as to provide a circuit having thewrong polarity between iilaments 21 and 23 and conductors 12 and 14through the contact members 28 and 76, and Sil and 78. Also connectionmay be made between the harness connector 2t) and the bulb socket 16with any angular relationship therebetween. In addition the connectionthus formed will be sealed against water, dust and corrosion Iby theboot structure 74 which lits snugly around the end of the bulb socket16.

What we claim as our invention is:

l. A bulb socket comprising a cylindrical socket tube adapted to receivean electric light bulb in one end thereof and having a radially inwardlyextending annular liange at the other end thereof, a cylindricalinsulating cor'e mounted in the other end of the socket tube for axialmovement with respect thereto one end of which extends through saidother end of the socket tube, said insulating core having an axiallyextending recess in said one end thereof, a transverse recess extendingacross the other end thereof and a pair of openings extending axially ofthe core between said recesses, a pair of contact members secured Withinsaid openings in said core and including ca'p portions extendingsubstantially perpendicularly to the axis of generation of saidcylindrical core positioned within said transverse recess, said contactmembers also including cylindrical portions at the other end thereofWithin said -axially extending recess in axially spaced relation whichcylindrical portions have a common axis of generation and are insurface-to-surface engagement with the core over the entire radiallyouter surface thereof, said core also including a radially outwardlyextending annular liange adjacent said other end thereof, and resilientmeans operable between the flanges on said bulb socket and insulatingcore to bias the insulating core toward said one end of the socket tube.

2. Structure as claimed in claim l wherein said cylindrical portions ofsaid contact members are segmental.

3. Structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cylindrical portions ofthe contact members are of the same diameter.

14. Structure as claimed in claim' 1 wherein said cylindrical portionsof the contact members are of dierent diameter.

5. A bulb socket comprising a cylindrical socket tube adapted to receivean electric light bulb in one end thereof, an insulating core mounted inthe other end of the socket tube one end of which extends through saidother end sixt of the socket tube, said insulating core having anaxially extending recess in said one end thereof and a pair of openingsextending axially therethrough which openings terminate in one end inthe recess, a pair of contact members extending through said openingshaving cap portions extending substantially perpendicularly to the axisof generation of the socket tube at the other end of the core andcylindrical portions adjacent said one end of the core which cylindricalportions are in axially spaced relation, have a common axis ofgeneration and are in surface-tosurface engagement with the core overthe entire radially outer surface thereof, and resilient means operablebetween the core and bulb socket for biasing the core tow-ard the oneend of the bulb socket.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS vCampbell Apr. 8, 1913 Stearns June 29, 1915 Werner Nov. 8, 1927 HarrisSept. 10, 1929 Wagstai Ian. 17, 1950 Engqvist Mar. 7, 1950 Hull et al.June 11, 1957 Harrisv June 23, 1959 Davis Nov. 3, 1959

